Carol Doda headlines San Francisco’s North Beach showing off the Condor front she performed after her 1965 acquittal for dancing topless.
Bateman/Bateman ArchivesSan Francisco’s pioneering approach to adult entertainment was recognized last month by the city’s Heritage Business Initiative, with one of the city’s highest honors awarded to North Beach staple Condor.
At a hearing in mid-November, Condor was granted traditional business status for its continuing operations since 1958.
Given the grown-up nature of Condor’s business model at the time, it did experience a lot of controversy over the years. In 1964, the iconic San Francisco Carol Doda performed topless, sparking a scandal that led to her arrest by the San Francisco Police Department the following year. Doda’s acquittal in the obscenity case essentially gave the green light to other similar adult agencies.
A hawker in front of Carol Doda’s strip club in San Francisco’s North Beach on Jan. 1. 24, 1982.
San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Papers via Getty Images
“Condor acted as a sort of gateway between San Francisco’s financial district and North Beach nightlife. Lady Doda and the Condor Club were the foundations of San Francisco’s iconic reputation in the mid to late 60’s, and Lady Doda remained a worldwide favorite around North Beach until its 2015 renovation. A well-known fixture,” wrote director Aaron Peskin, endorsing Condor’s legacy business applications.
While it was the first strip club to achieve traditional status, it wasn’t the first adult-oriented business. Eros, a queer sex club on Turk Street, and Good Vibrations, an adult toy retailer with multiple locations in the Bay Area, also received the honor.
Legendary North Beach stripper Carol Doda works at her champagne and lace lingerie store in San Francisco on Tuesday, July 14, 2009.
San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst N/San Francisco Chronicle via Gett